WILD PARROT SAFARI IN BROOKLYN!

Forget the beekeeping workshop, apparently there are a) wild parrots in Brooklyn and b) safaris to see these wild parrots.  And the next one is this weekend, Saturday July 9th at 11AM.  The tours are organized by Steve Baldwin, wild parrot lover and birdwatcher extraordinaire.  Here are all the details:

Attention all Urban Parrot fans: the next Wild Brooklyn Parrot Safari will happen on Saturday, July 9, 2011, at 11 AM. All will please gather at Brooklyn College's  Hillel Gate, which is at the intersection of Hillel Place and Campus Road.   To register, email Steve Baldwin at steve@brooklynparrots.com

Wild Parrot Safari (Brooklyn College): 11:00 AM to 12:30PM
At 11 AM, we'll inspect the Brooklyn Parrots' "Ellis Island." Their large nests around the soccer field represents the first major colony in Brooklyn. The site is easy to get to via public transportation. Just take the Number 2 train (Seventh Avenue IRT) to the end of the line, walk one block Southwest on Hillel Street past the new Starbucks, and look for the main Brooklyn College date. The tour begins at the entrance at 11:00 AM sharp. Allow some extra time, given that the MTA is doing lots of construction/train re-routing on weekends. Driving instructions are available at Brooklyn College's main Web site. Parking is fairly easy to come by in the neighborhood. If you're late, please call me: I'll give you directions so that you can meet up with us if the tour is already in progress.

What to Bring/What to Wear
Please bring a photo ID (this is required by Brooklyn College Security). Bring binoculars and a camera. We'll be exposed to the outdoors so bring a hat/sunscreen if you have sensitive skin. Please feel free to wear anything except bright orange. For reasons that science has not yet explained, Monk Parrots freak out when you show them something orange.

This Tour is Free, But the Parrots Are Hungry!
The Wild Parrot Safari is free - if you wish to help your hungry urban feathered friends, bring some good bird feed and other treats. Finch food or millet are always welcomed by our hungry urban "peeps."

If you can't make the safari, at least check out Steve's site and some music from his new band...the Elementary Penguins.

made in brooklyn: thomas witte

Thomas Witte is a Brooklyn-based (his studio is at the Brooklyn Navy Yards to be precise) stencil artist.  Witte's pieces are based on vintage photographs which he then recreates with stencils, painted and drawn on non-traditional canvasses such as scrap metal, glass, and wood.  You can read more about Thomas and his work here.

BATTLE FOR BROOKLYN Now Playing at Brooklyn Heights Cinema

Battle For Brooklyn, the 93-minute documentary about the controversial Atlantic Yards project starts playing tonight at Brooklyn Heights Cinema.  I'm really interested to check it out as I still can't believe this is really happening.  More info here.

tonight: kid cudi at williamsburg waterfront

Tonight @ 5:30PM with Chip Tha Ripper

Williamsburg Waterfront

Tickets are still available, though they are a steep $60. More info.

Brooklyn Market: Woodstock of Eating

NYTIMES

Another article about the very successful and very delicious Smorgasburg market held each Saturday in Williamsburg.

Start with a sure thing like the fried anchovies ($6) at Bon Chovie, a delicate fish that tastes like the ocean; or the chorizo sandwich ($7, $10 with blistered pimentos on the side) at Bocata; or the sloppy dog ($8) at the Meat Hook, a hot dog smothered with chipped brisket and slaw. Or go to Cemita’s and start with the namesake sandwich ($9), including chipotle spread, avocado, pickled onion and carnitas, that’s too big for one person, too messy to share. Accompany it with a yuzu, lime leaf and honey lemonade ($2) from 4πr2, or fresh watermelon juice with aloe ($5) from Salud.

New Yorkers of a certain age will head directly to the cold sesame noodles ($5) at Shorty Tang & Sons, an essential dish from the days of Danceteria. The stall is operated by Casey and Gilley Tang, grandsons of the chef who is considered by some to have perfected the creamy, lightly spicy noodles in the city. The other item for sale is a spicy daikon salad ($4), fresh and peppery with a touch of sweetness. That’s it. Like many of the stalls, Shorty Tang & Sons keeps the menu short.

Read the complete article here..

(free!) beekeeping workshops in brooklyn

For more info, click here.

NYT: As It Campaigns to Build in the City, Wal-Mart Donates $4 Million

From NYTIMES City Room blog:

He called Wal-Mart “one of the great corporate citizens in this country.” He praised its efforts to conduct background checks before selling guns. He flatly rebuffed suggestions that the company was killing jobs.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg took on the role of ardent defender of big-box America on Tuesday at a news conference announcing a $4 million donation by Wal-Mart to a city program that offers summer jobs to young people.

With Wal-Mart in the midst of an aggressive campaign to open its first store in New York City, was the donation simply a coincidence?

Michelle Gilliard, a representative for the company’s philanthropic division, said the money was part of an effort to help children across the country.

But when reporters pressed further, it was Mr. Bloomberg who took over as spokesman.

“You’re telling me that your company’s philanthropy doesn’t look to see what is good for your company?” the mayor shot back at a reporter.

When a reporter tried to follow up with Ms. Gilliard, Mr. Bloomberg grew impatient, saying: “She answered it. You’re just not listening.”

Mr. Bloomberg, a longtime defender of free-market principles, brushed aside a question about whether it was coincidental that the news conference, held at a recreation center in Brownsville, Brooklyn, was just miles from one of the company’s potential construction sites. “This is city is not in the business of promoting any more than it is in the business of discriminating against stores,” he said.

Wal-Mart has encountered opposition from some City Council members and labor advocates, who have criticized its hiring practices and expressed concern that its presence in New York would hurt small businesses.

But the company’s donation, which will help finance some 3,400 jobs, seemed to help win over some skeptics.

The Brooklyn borough president, Marty Markowitz, who has expressed concern about Wal-Mart’s expansion in the past, praised the company at Tuesday’s announcement.

“This is a good, major first step,” he said.

summer screen starts tomorrow

From L Magazine:

Our annual free movie series SummerScreen presented as part of the EPIX Movie Free-For-All series starts this Wednesday, and we're kicking things off with Ice Cube and Chris Tucker's tale of true, brotherly love, Friday. Come sit with us, enjoy a snack from Pizza Moto, V-Spot, Bark Hot Dogs, or Coolhaus, drink a beer from Six Point, and grab a free bag of Pop Chips and stop by the Red Bull tent for a sample or five.

The screening is held at the corner of Bedford and North 12th streets in Williamsburg. Gates open at 6pm, films start at dusk.  More info.

NYTIMES: Election to Replace Weiner Is Set for Sept. 13

From the NYT City Room blog:

Fulfilling the wishes of local political leaders, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Friday that a special election to fill the seat of former Representative Anthony D. Weiner would be held on Sept. 13.

...

Already, several names have surfaced as possible contenders. The three leading candidates, according to Democratic leaders, are Assemblyman Rory I. Lancman; Assemblyman David Weprin; and former City Council member Melinda Katz. Others include City Councilman Mark Weprin; former City Councilman Eric Gioia, and former Reprensentative Elizabeth Holtzman.

“No decisions have been made,” said one Democrat who has talked to Mr. Crowley in recent weeks. “Everyone’s in the mix.”

On the Republican side, the two leading candidates are believed to be a city councilman, Eric Ulrich, and Bob Turner, who, fueled by a national wave of anti-incumbency, won a surprisingly high 40 percent of the vote against Mr. Weiner in 2010. But Philip Ragusa, chair of the Queens Republican Party, said that his screening committee had interviewed eight candidates so far, and would likely interview at least another four more.

Read the complete post here.

top picks for the holiday weekend

 

July 1st - 4th

International African Arts Festival

This year's festival's theme is AROBAINI (Swahili for 40) in celebration of its 40th anniversary.

10am - 10pm

Commodore Barry Park

Park & Flushing Aves; N. Elliot & Navy Streets

More info

************

July 1st

CELEBRATE BROOKLYN Presents Steel Pulse

7:30PM

Prospect Park Bandshell

More info

************

July 2nd

First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum

5PM start

8-10PM Freedom Dance Party featuring DJs Cosi, Herbert Holler, and Marc Smooth spin tracks by American artists.

Brooklyn Museum

More info

************

July 4th

SUMMERJAM III

3PM

Shea Stadium

20 Meadow Street

More info

Freddy's Fourth of July BBQ

3PM

Freddy's Back Room

627 Fifth Avenue

More info

Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest
10:00AM
1310 Surf Ave at Stillwell Ave, Coney Island

************

For other 4th of July round-ups, check out Brooklyn Vegan and Free Williamsburg and The Local.

Gotham Greens Opens in Greenpoint

Good news for locavores.  Gotham Greens, a new 15,000-square-foot rooftop greenhouse in Greenpoint, has officially opened its doors.  Check out their website and Fast Company's profile of the new venture.  The greenhouse will be operating year-round and supplying their lettuce and herbs to a number of NYC stores and restaurants, including Whole Foods, Fresh Direct, D'Agostino, Eataly, Agata and Valentina, and Union Market.

New Historic District Approved in Crown Heights

[caption id="attachment_241" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Landmarks Preservation Committee"][/caption]

According to WNYC, yesterday the Landmark Preservation Commission approved the creation of a historic district in Crown Heights:

The new district includes 610 row houses, apartment buildings and large Queen Anne-style homes, most of which were built between 1870 and 1920. The area is bound by Bergen St. to the north, Brooklyn Ave. to the east, Eastern Parkway to the south and Nostrand Ave. to the west; and it borders a pre-existing, 472-building historic area that the Landmark Preservation Commission designated as a historic district in 2007.

"The neighborhood is really an exquisite mosaic of remarkably well preserved examples of architectural styles and building types," said the commission's chairman Robert Tierney.

Area resident Deborah Young created the Crown Heights North Association to help generate interest in landmarking in the community and to educate her neighbors on the benefits of a historic district, which she says include increased property values and protection from the kind of over-development happening elsewhere in Brooklyn.

You can read the complete article here.

Keri Russell's Brownstone in Elle Decor

As a devoted Felicity fan back in the day, I couldn't help but post this (go ahead, judge).  Elle Decor has a sneak peek of the actress's brownstone in their June 201 issue.  See more pics here.

Brooklyn band MEN featured on Weeds

 

Season 7 of Weeds started last night, and Brooklyn's very own MEN closed out the episode with their single Who Am I To Feel So Free.

Via COED Magazine

yes, finally. a broccoli tree house.

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pics from fort greene fest

[caption id="attachment_201" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="photo by Zachary Goelman"][/caption]

The Local has a write-up and pictures from this past weekend's Fort Greene fest.

pianos + prospect park

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It was lovely this weekend to walk by the park and see one of Sing For Hope's pop-up pianos outside the entrance on Grand Army Plaza.

According to Park Slope Patch, the piano will be there for all to enjoy until July 2nd.

Bon Iver - I Can't Make You Love Me / Nick of Time

Because even Bon Iver knows Bonnie Raitt is the best.

Brooklyn, Summer 1974

[caption id="attachment_173" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Brooklyn 1974"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_174" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Three boys and 'A train' graffiti in Brooklyn's Lynch Park"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_176" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Kosciusko public swimming pool in the heart of Bed-Stuy"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_177" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Three girls in Brooklyn"][/caption]

Brooklyn, Summer 1974 via Retronaut. I love this this site. See more pictures here.

fun prints for summer sandals

Suno with Loeffler Randal.  Available at Bird (on sale!)
.

The Wyatta from Aldo

Santa Rosa from Sperry

Jeffrey Campbell Baja.  Available at Urban Outfitters.

Theodora & Callum.  Available at shopbop.

brent wadden featured on little paper planes

Interview and more at Little Paper Planes.

WIM•BLE•DON

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/23852299]

The 2008 Wimbledon final between Nadal and Federer brought to life by graphic design student Bryan Ku.

Get outside and do something

[caption id="attachment_127" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="from NYTIMES"][/caption]

Check out the NYTIMES piece on Brooklyn Rod & Gun, an outdoorsy private social club in Williamsburg.  According to the BR&G website, guests are welcome to many of their events, so you don't just have to a member to join in on the action.

The Bklyn Rod & Gun is a private social club located in Williamsburg across from New York’s East River. Our members have expertise in fly fishing and fly tying for both fresh and saltwater, bait-fishing, shooting, camping, hiking and boating (not to mention some top notch musicians!). As a group we aim to instill respect, appreciation and awareness of nature in our urban setting, while promoting safe and sensible use of these resources. In addition to club activities and meetings, we regularly open our doors to the community and have regularly scheduled music, barbecues and host other like minded organizations. Please come by and be our guests. It doesn’t cost you anything to enjoy one of our events and we usually have something on the grill too!

washed out: amor fati

The latest single from Washed Out's forthcoming album Within and Without.

[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/17572238" params="show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=ff7700" width="100%" height="81" ]

How to make knit pigs: the skill you never knew you were missing

TOY DESIGN CLASS AT BROOKLYN GENERAL

Date/Time: Sunday, June 26, 1-4 pm

Price: $75

Level: Experienced (an understanding of basic construction and experience with knitting in the round)

Sign up on the Brooklyn General website, or call 718-237-7753.

aicha at the park slope food co-op

I survived my first shift at the Park Slope food co-op.  Lots of sweeping and stocking baby food.  It also seemed like they were playing "Aicha" almost every other song.  I was okay with it though as this song is still pretty awesome.

Are you an experienced, qualified restaurateur with a vision?

If so, you + 3rd Ward could start a new cafe:

3rd Ward is now accepting cafe proposals for our flagship 195 Morgan Avenue location. You’ll develop, operate and maintain a cafe in our high-traffic space. Tap into our existing community, program your own events, and expand your business with an $85,000 capital improvement budget.

Letters of Interest are due July 8th.
Proposals are due July 22th.

For more information, check out the 3rd Ward website.

Wet Hot American Summer Prequel

Great news for all Wet Hot American Summer fans!  It's been ten years since the cult classic hit the screen and according to indiewire, Director David Wain has confirmed a PREQUEL is in the works.

Jeff Goldsmith at The Q&A podcast interviewed Wain about his plans and celebration of the 10th anniversary:

Wain: Yes, we have been talking about a sequel, prequel, something or other.

Goldsmith: The idea I’ve heard tossed around is that it would be a prequel but when you shoot it they would be 20 years older.

Wain: Well, no that would be absurd. The prequel would be the same summer so they would be 20 years old for the part yeah, but not younger. So it would be 40 year olds playing 16 year olds. And yeah, we’re in the early stages of thinking about that.

Goldsmith: I hope it happens.

Wain: Me too.

house in the outskirts of brussels

"'house in the outskirts of brussels" designed by samyn and partners via designboom.

Bike envy

Poppy from Adeline Bikes, Dutchie in cream from Linus Bikes, Commuter Bike 3 from Vanilla Bikes, Plato Dutch, Abici bicyles + Note design studio

And the ultimate accessory: a bikestache.

A must-have: Barry O Birth Certificate Mugs

Get your very own with a $15 donation on barackobama.com.  Thanks Brooke!

NYMAG's Summer Issue is Out

Check out:

Critics’ Picks: Twenty Days to Spend in Town

The 12 Sunniest Beer Gardens

Festival Face-Off: Breaking down this summer's overstuffed concert extravaganzas

Friendly Fires: Strangelove

Dreams Do Come True

Great news for all Wet Hot American Summer fans!  It's been ten years since the cult classic hit the screen and according to indiewire, Director David Wain has confirmed a PREQUEL is in the works.

Jeff Goldsmith at The Q&A podcast interviewed Wain about his plans and celebration of the 10th anniversary:

Wain: Yes, we have been talking about a sequel, prequel, something or other.

Goldsmith: The idea I’ve heard tossed around is that it would be a prequel but when you shoot it they would be 20 years older.

Wain: Well, no that would be absurd. The prequel would be the same summer so they would be 20 years old for the part yeah, but not younger. So it would be 40 year olds playing 16 year olds. And yeah, we’re in the early stages of thinking about that.

Goldsmith: I hope it happens.

Wain: Me too.

 

Keep your eyes open for tickets on craigslist for the sold-out anniversary celebration at Music Hall of Williamsburg on 7/26.

Matt and Kim - Block After Block

It's official

Summer is here.

Sample bliss

In another life, I hope to be a make-up artist or skin care consultant.  Friends and family members know that there is nothing that brings me as much joy in life than buying, researching, and talking about skin care products.  I can't get enough.  So I was excited when my sister shared this NYTIMES article with me about a new business called Birchbox.  For $10/month, Birchbox puts together a customized box of samples from some of the top brands in skin care and beauty products.  Their goal is to help you find products that are a good fit and navigate the overwhelming number of choices cluttering the shelves in your local drugstore or Sephoras.

I'm curious to talk to someone who's tried it out.  I think I'm going to sign up...

Check out the write-up on the NY Times business blog.

Eight Bit Tiger

Last week, I volunteered for a shift at Northside and had the chance to check out Eight Bit Tiger, a self-described "electronic dance music band from Chicago."  While they were clearly not impressed with the small crowd (at one point there was literally one person in the middle of the floor), they put on a great show.

Check them out at: http://eightbittiger.bandcamp.com/

Also playing was the band Conveyor.  After a brief speech about the demise of eye contact in today's society, they proceeded to have a staring contest and then play one of their songs blindfolded.  It was an incredible moment.  (Read: ridiculous)